In 2011, I found myself in a situation where I was writing letters rather frequently. And yes, I mean letters--the good ol' fashioned pen on paper, stick it in an envelope, put a stamp on it kind of letter. While at some points it was annoying to write something on paper, rather than typing, it was also refreshing to write this way. In order to avoid nasty scribbled out sections, you have to really think about what you want to say. In a world of emails and texts, words can be typed, re-typed, manipulated, erased, and reworked until they are perfect, and slightly unnatural. Or, in contrast, we send emails and texts in a hurry, with that little blurb on the end of emails asking the reader to forgive our typos as it was sent from our iPhone or Blackberry. In the world of writing letters, one must really think about what they are trying to communicate before actually communicating it. This skill, which is still important in verbal communication, seems to be dying. Just as people are asked to excuse our typos in emails sent from smart phones, we also expect people to brush off the harsh words that often come out of our mouths. Just as that stupid drunken text can be sent in a split second, in that same split second the words that come directly out of ones mouth can do an insane amount of damage. As someone who will become a "for realsie" lawyer in 2012, thinking before I speak is an invaluable tool for my professional career as well. Unconsidered words can get a good lawyer into a lot of trouble. The thought process involved in writing letters is an important skill to develop. Letters force us to pause. Think. Then write. Write what you mean, write what you believe.
Beyond the ability of letters to help us learn how to communicate effectively and compassionately, letters also are a means of fostering a different level of communication with the recipient. The process of writing a letter--picking out stationary or a card, writing the note, finding the address, buying a stamp, dropping the letter in the mailbox--is just that...a process. Compared to typing a note and pressing send on your gmail account, writing and sending a letter is labor intensive. A labor that illustrates to the recipient that you care. That you want to take the time from your day to write that letter. That your relationship with that person is special. Often, you can say things in letters that might not be as easy to say in real life, face to face. Letters say more than just their content. In a world where the typical mailbox loot is bills and catalogues (or, if you are a public interest law student, rejection letters from potential employers), finding a letter can brighten a day.
For these reasons, my goal for 2012 is to write a letter a day and then blog about it. Since I'm realistic (and a poor, busy law student), I know that I won't do this every day. But I'm going to make a serious effort to take time out of most days to write a letter to a friend, a relative, a neighbor, a mentor, whoever. Whether it is a greeting card, a quick note, a long heartfelt thank you, or (gasp!) a love letter, I hope to rekindle the joy of writing letters for me, and the joy of receiving letters for my recipients. While a letter a day for the next 365 days may seem like a lofty goal, I think that is what New Years Resolutions are supposed to be--ambitious, next to impossible, and maybe a little silly. If all else fails, at least maybe my penmanship will improve a bit :)
For my inaugural letter, I will be writing a letter to the most amazing woman I know. My momma. She has modeled for me what it means to be a loving mother, a dedicated wife, a passionate educator, and a beautiful person. While we went through the typical mother-daughter tension during my high school years (I was sassy), I now count her as one of my very best friends. I'll be telling her that in my first letter--a worthy first letter for my A Letter a Day Project.
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